Man Utd, Bayern Munich confirmed for World Sevens Football: Explaining new summer soccer tournament

Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Ajax and Benfica have been announced as the first participating teams in the inaugural World Sevens Football (W7F) tournament.

The W7F tournament, which boasts a “game-changing” $5million (£3.8m) prize pot, was launched in March and takes place between May 21 and 23 in Estoril, Portugal.

Eight professional clubs are due to take part, with the first four, all European, officially announced on Thursday.

The tournament is scheduled just two days before Lisbon hosts the 2025 Champions League final, and just over a month before the European Championship in Switzerland.

Manchester United did not qualify for this season’s Champions League, while Benfica and Ajax were both knocked out before the group stages. Bayern, who allowed players to vote on whether they wanted to participate in the World 7s, were eliminated at the quarter-final stage by Lyon. All four clubs are expected to have a number of players selected for Euro 2025.

The W7F format will consist of two 15-minute halves on a field half the size of an 11-a-side pitch.

Bayern Munich are one of four teams confirmed to be part of W7F (Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images)

W7F is backed by co-founder Jennifer Mackesy, who is the minority owner of Gotham, and is also part of Todd Boehly’s Chelsea ownership group. The Mackesys have confirmed $100million of investment over five years.

It was later announced that long-serving Chelsea executive manager, Adrian Jacob, will become the organisation’s head of football.

Speaking on a media call attended by The Athletic on Thursday, Jacob and Anita Asante, member of W7F’s player advisory council, took questions on topics including prize money distribution, club selection and player participation.

Why have all eight teams not been announced at once?

Jacob said this was for “suspense”, but in a separate answer to a question regarding which clubs had said ‘no’ he referenced that “contracts take a long time”.

Jacob did not rule out a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) side or one of the Champions League semi-finalists (Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea or Lyon) participating competing in this May edition, but according to sources, who wish to remain anonymous to protect relations, Chelsea are not set to take part regardless of whether they make the Champions League final.

The Champions League finalists competing on the day after the final day of the W7F tournament will not take part. Lyon lead Arsenal 2-1 following their semi-final first leg, while Barcelona are 4-1 up against Chelsea.

Which players will take part?

Jacob expects clubs’ first-team squads — note, not their first XI — to take part. When asked if Manchester United’s most recognisable names, such as England internationals Ella Toone and Grace Clinton, will take part, Jacob said: “I would expect them definitely to come but how much they play, is a different matter.”

Teams can have a squad size of up to 25 players and 14 per match.

Why were these dates chosen, given they fall in the middle of the NWSL season?

Navigating the fixture calendar is not easy and Jacob referenced factors such as stadium and pitch availability, as well as club schedules.

“There is a lot to talk about regarding when it is going to be in the future,” he said.

Are there plans for future editions?

Yes, W7F plans to host a tournament in North America in November. The ambition in the future is to host up to five editions around the world per year.

What about player welfare?

The women’s football calendar has been criticised for the irregular and congested calendar for top players.

Former England defender Asante, who is on W7F’s player advisory council, led by USWNT World Cup-winner Tobin Heath, said player welfare was at the centre of every decision.

Asante said playing on a grass surface was important, the distances players will cover and amount of time on the pitch is “completely different to an 11 v 11 game”, larger squad sizes will help manage players’ loads while players are familiar with small-sided games from club training.

“The clubs have professional staff who manage the strength and conditioning,” she said. “We also trust they will make good decisions for their players. From the feedback we have got from players, they are really excited to play in this competition.”

How will the prize money be distributed?

Jacob said prize money will be issued to each position from first to fourth. The tournament prize pool is $5m, which will include $2.5m for the winners and $1m for second place.

The teams that finish fifth to eighth will receive a participation fee, and the tournament will pay for each team’s flights and accommodation.

The prize money for the top four teams will be divided between clubs, and their players and staff, with the exact distribution determined by each club. Clubs can choose to divide the money between their entire squad, as opposed to just the players who compete in the tournament.

Where will W7F be broadcast?

DAZN will be broadcasting the event but it is still to be decided if clubs can stream on their own websites.

(Top photo: Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

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